This invention relates to supporting and enhancing time management skills, and in particular to reinforce those skills with children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with or have symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The most common neurobehavioral disorder diagnosed in children is ADHD. Conservative estimates indicate over 2 million American youth are experiencing some level of impairment related to the symptoms of ADHD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders reports the prevalence of ADHD as 3-7% in the school aged population. Other reviews note prevalence rates from 1.6-16%. A hallmark of ADHD in school and teen-aged youth is underachievement and school failure. Research indicates 90% of those diagnosed with ADHD have significant difficulties at some time in their school experience. Up to 32% of students diagnosed with ADHD fail to complete high-school.
While medication does impact distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, its impact on academic achievement is less promising. The ability to sustain attention to task and resist distraction is particularly difficult when the required task is boring or repetitive. It is clear that symptoms of hyperactivity decrease across elementary school years. However, problems with attention persist and are relatively stable during the same period of development. Key brain activities related to executive function and working memory have been identified as probable factors in ADHD. Individuals with ADHD seem to have a diminished reactivity to stimuli and respond best to immediate reinforcement at the “point of performance.” Time and timing of behaviors are often disrupted for individuals with ADHD, who have difficulty holding information in their minds that can be used to guide later performance. Difficulties anticipating what will happen next, repeating the same mistakes, planning for the future, remembering details, organizing tasks, and managing time are common issues for these individuals. There have been no significant breakthroughs in psychosocial or psycho-educational strategies for the treatment of ADHD.
For teachers of youth with ADHD, a number of challenges arise. These include having to frequently repeat or repetitively communicate “forgotten” assignments or projects, students' lack of preparation for quizzes or tests that are assigned in advance, and students attending classes without assigned and or required materials.
Parents/guardians of students with ADHD also encounter a number of difficulties. These include challenges communicating with teachers, insufficient or inaccurate information from students related to messages or assignments given by teachers, and missed appointments and meetings that are “not remembered” by students.